People's Food Co-op to hire 5 new workers; will host April 8 job fair

Scott Harmsen / Gazette FileA construction worker climbs on March 15 to the roof of the new People's Food Co-op building at 507 Harrison Street in Kalamazoo. The People's Food Co-op is set to reopen there in late May.

KALAMAZOO — If you’re looking for work and you like healthy foods, the People’s Food Co-op may have an opportunity for you.

The 37-year-old cooperatively-owned natural grocer says it is looking to fill at least five new staff positions before it relocates to 507 Harrison St.

The new positions, which will grow its staff from 10 full-time equivalents to 15, involve customer service, preparing foods, and purchasing.

The People’s Food Co-op is set to move in late May from its cramped longtime location at 436 S. Burdick St. in the southern part of downtown Kalamazoo, into a larger new building that is under construction at 507 Harrison St. in the city’s River’s Edge District, north of Kalamazoo Avenue.

The Co-op will host a hiring fair from 3 to 6 p.m. on April 8 at the Urban Blend Coffee House at 714 N. Burdick St., a community center located close to the new co-op building. Coffee will be available there for a $1 donation, with proceeds going towards the development of the community center.

“The upcoming hiring fair will provide a chance for people to learn more about the new positions, fill out applications, and take part in short introductory interviews,” Chris Dilley, general manager of cooperative sad in a press release. “We are really excited about the event. The hiring process can sometimes be a bit intimidating. We are looking forward to spending some face to face time with people interested in working at the new store.”

The co-op is 41 years old and has been at its South Burdick location for 37 years. Construction work on its new home on Harrison Street started on Dec. 6 and is to be completed in less than nine weeks, Dilley said. The total cost of the project is about $1.7 million, he said. That includes the land and a $1 million building.

Coffee will be available at the hiring fair for a $1 donation, Dilley said, with proceeds going towards the development of the Urban Blend Coffee House.